


Vengeance Comes In Black

by LeyenarTheAvenger



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: 'cause nobody messes with his precious khan and gets away with it, Anthropomorphic, BAMF USS Vengeance, Because i love him so much, Betazoid, Black Lives Matter, Blackmail, Canon Rewrite, Christine Chapel Bashing, Christopher Pike Lives, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Dadmiral Christopher Pike, Female Characters, Fix-It, Forbidden Love, Gen, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Humor, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Justice, Klingon, Like, M/M, Multi, Nyota Uhura Bashing, Please Don't Kill Me, Possessive USS Vengeance, Protective USS Vengeance, Sentient USS Vengeance (Star Trek), Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Author Regrets Nothing, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, True Love, Twu Wuv, USS Vengeance-centric, Weirdmageddon, Why Did I Write This?, Yes it Is, a lot of it, and BotanyCameos, but not so much, curse you yeaka, not on his watch, places every single Vengeance tag here, the vengeance finally gets his vengeance, this might just be the weirdest thing i've ever wrote, yep that's Vengeance/Khan for me, ❤
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:15:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26404825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeyenarTheAvenger/pseuds/LeyenarTheAvenger
Summary: In order to make sure everything is alright, Khan Noonien Singh makes a deal with the devil and everything just begins spiraling downward from there. Following a run-in with a mysterious planetoid which triggers a series of unfortunate events and a situation that was poorly planned, the USS Vengeance becomes self-aware and gains a human avatar.Determined to rescue his one true captain from the destiny that was cruelly chosen for him, the warship decides to defy Starfleet.Stay tuned, y'all Trekkies, 'cause what you're about to witness is the greatest love story in the history of the universe—one to easily rival that of Lord Kahless and Lady Lukara!
Relationships: Alexander Marcus & Gary Mitchell, Alexander Marcus/Khan Noonien Singh, Ben Sulu/Hikaru Sulu, Carol Marcus/Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Christine Chapel/Gary Mitchell, Gaila/Keenser (Star Trek: Alternate Original Series), Hendorff | Cupcake/Nyota Uhura, James T. Kirk & Christopher Pike, James T. Kirk/Spock, Khan Noonien Singh/USS Vengeance, Lynne Lucero/Sylvia Tilly, Michael Burnham/Ash Tyler | Voq, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott/Nyota Uhura, Pavel Chekov/Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov/Irina Galliulin
Kudos: 2





	1. Deal With The Devil

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ritsuko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ritsuko/gifts), [BotanyCameos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BotanyCameos/gifts), [TheDestinyWay1000](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDestinyWay1000/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Blackmail](https://archiveofourown.org/works/957754) by [ritsuko](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ritsuko/pseuds/ritsuko). 



> DISCLAIMER:I don't own Star Trek, no matter how much I wish I did. If I did, then Spirk, McCarol, Uhotty and Vengeance/Khan would be canon, with Spock and Khan yelling at each other on the loss of their respective partners as they fight then ending up ugly crying on each other's shoulders until Uhura beams down and says the magic word.
> 
> Aaaand the grand experiment kicks off! OK, so, lemme get something straight...
> 
> 1\. This is loosely based on "I, Enterprise"—issues 31 and 32 of IDW Publishing's Star Trek comics, and explores on what if, Khan didn't attack Daystrom but rather, made a bargain? Also, Khan won't be the one to kill Admiral Marcus, instead, I'm taking a few liberties and letting the Vengeance have his vengeance. Get it? _Vengeance_? (maniacal laughter)
> 
> 2\. I'm giving individual members of the Q continuum names, in order to avoid confusion with James Bond's beloved quartermaster.
> 
> 3\. In this one, the Nibiru mission was a huge success. That didn't stop a good portion of the Nibirans from catching a glimpse of the Enterprise, albeit unbeknownst to any of her crew.
> 
> Serena Wallace is Carol's mother, so don't be confused when you see her pop up in any of the chappies.
> 
> I will be writing Qo'noS as Kronos in any speech. BTW...I thought of Martin Freeman and Cate Blanchett while imagining the characters of Methil and S'Tarleya. 
> 
> And another thing...look what you made me do, yeaka. These are the words of a girl that considered suicide on the day she lost everything, and remember:I still blame you for getting me into Vengeance/Khan hell.

_My everything, my beloved, my angel of death,_

_My Sri Krishna, my confidant, my very existence,_

_O'great ship of my own design, if looks could kill—_

_Then, I would be dead in seconds by gazing upon thee._

_I shall sing thy praises forever,_

_The light of my life,_

_The fire of my soul,_

_My Vengeance_

_My Vengeance_

_My Vengeance_

* * *

Eyeing the front double doors, Khan crouched down into a starting position, as if he were at a track meet. This was hardly anything like the Eugenics Wars, or the dirty work Marcus made him do, and he was a little rusty. But his crew was counting on him.

So, taking a deep breath, Khan sprang towards the gate, not even slowing down as the lasers started firing at him.

He zigzagged in all directions. He could hear Dr. Sarina Kaur, his creator, saying _I_ _f you run in a straight path, they'll be sure to hit you. Don't be an easy target for them._ Oh, how could he ever forget her? She was like a real mother to him, all he knew, he learned from her.

As the drone with the buzzsaw came by, he dropped into a somersault, moving to the left to avoid the trapdoor with the shark. _I knew it was a good idea to stay in shape._ When he sprang back to his feet, the yard suddenly erupted into flames, the stairs the only safe path. Pressure sensors or not, he was now forced to stay on the steps.

The lasers were still firing, so he flung himself forward into a handspring, followed by a cartwheel. He came up just in time to see another buzzsaw sweeping down, though he couldn't see what kept it up. Ducking down, he went into another somersault.

The mysterious figure watched this display from the window, his mouth agape. Who _was_ this man?!

He should've been furious that the man was weaving effortlessly through his security system, yet he couldn't help but be…impressed. True, another challenger had done the same thing, but that had been dumb luck, and the Cardassian had come out looking like a fried chicken. This guy wasn't getting a scratch on him. Except for one laser grazing his shoulder, though it had only gotten his clothing. And he just carried on as if it was nothing.

_Seems he had even more gumption than I'd thought._

As Khan went through the last leg of the trek, the figure grinned as he rested his finger on the red button.

"Oh, this is going to be fun."

After dodging the last snowball—how he'd managed to get so many kids to throw them, he had no idea—Khan landed on the front porch, panting as he gazed up at the double doors with the circular knockers. He wasted no time in standing up and pressing his finger against the gold button.

_Wow, that was a rush._

The doorbell had just started its first tone when one of the double doors, the one closest to him, creaked open. It revealed a darkened hallway. Behind him, he could hear the clanging of metal as the weapons were retracted into the mansion.

Khan gulped, but remembered why he was here. Reaching into his coat, he found his switchblade, took it out and tucked it within the cuff of his sleeve. Just in case the other one didn't keep his word. Taking in a deep breath, he entered the mansion.

The hallway stretched far ahead of him, the walls reaching up high. The wallpaper was a deep red with a repeated pattern of black checkers. Black columns lined these walls, giving the hallway an almost Victorian look.

Before he could fully take in his surroundings, the door slammed behind him, making him jump. The lights started flickering on and off. At the end of the hallway, he could make out a small, lean figure. He gripped the hilt of his blade.

"Congratulations, Commander Harrison," the figure said in that same cheerful voice that had greeted him on the intercom. "You've made it past my front door."

The figure lifted its head to reveal a toothy, minty-green smile. It was only there for an instant, for when the lights next went out, the figure was gone. And Khan was alone in the dark.

No. Not really. As he stepped further into the hallway, he could feel the creature's spine-tingling presence.

"I-I know you're there," he said.

His voice was shaky. Not just because of the dark atmosphere, but the fact that he'd just run a marathon of deathtraps. He had a feeling that had merely been a warm-up.

 _Don't let it show that you're intimidated._ Remembering Dr. Kaur's advice once again, he shook his head and tried to keep up his brave front.

"Show yourself!"

There was a low cackle echoing throughout the darkness. "I can smell your fear. No use trying to hide it."

Khan stopped and looked about for the source of the voice. It seemed to be coming from all directions. It sent a chill through him, but he wasn't going to give this creature the satisfaction of frightening him. Taking a deep breath, he straightened up.

"Yes, I am afraid." he said firmly. "But fear is what makes me brave."

"Good answer," the voice said, sounding pleased. "You aren't a complete idiot, it would seem."

Khan wasn't liking this guy already. "Alright, I made it past your stupid little obstacle course." He let the blade slide out of its hilt, cradling it between his fingers. "I've come to bargain."

The voice chuckled. "You think you're in any position to be making demands? Foolish man. Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?"

"Of course I do," he said flatly. "Everyone knows who you are."

Suddenly, he felt a cool breeze on the back of his neck. Stiffening, Khan realized it was someone's breath. Not warm like most breaths, but cold as ice.

He was standing right behind him.

"Then say the name!" he hissed in his ear.

His voice was like venom. It had the Augment frozen in place. Khan's heartbeat sped fast enough to defy all traffic laws. He knew what this monster was capable of. He could kill him with a mere snap of his fingers. To him, Khan's life was a weak burning candle he could snuff out. Or worse. He could snap him in two, but still have him live long enough to feel the pain. He could make his suffering last as long as he wanted it to.

But all that mattered right now, was delivering the thing necessary.

So, taking in a deep breath and narrowing his eyes, he took a step away from the creature.

"Lairos Methil." he said, clenching his fists. "But I don't care who you are." Whipping out his knife, he turned to face him at last. "I've brought the Starfleet personnel's database, as I promised! And I'm not leaving here until you keep your promise and aid me!"

The silence that followed allowed his time to fully take in the figure standing before him in the dim light from the windows.

Methil was stunned. The Augment had his fierce glaring eyes locked with his. He was clearly trying to hide his fear, as the knife was shaking in his hand.

He had a dark appearance. He blended oh-so-well into the shadows, with his black hair and clothing. But his bright blue eyes shone through it all, burning with fury and fear.

The mysterious being relaxed and gave him one of his smirks. This man had spirit, but he was no threat.

"Very few beings," he said in a low tone, "have dared to speak to me so boldly...and lived to tell the tale! The only reason you've lasted this long, Commander Harrison," Methil said, "is because I found your performance out on my lawn quite…impressive. But my attention can only be held for so long. Also, John Harrison isn't your real name, is it?"

"How'd you know that?" asked Khan.

"In fact, Lairos Methil isn't my real name as well. I've gone by many names in the past—D'Klarass, Tarius, Spirky The Spunky Spirkmeister...but none of those names represent who I truly am. You can still call me Methil, or _Q_ if you wish." In a flash, they were sitting on a dinner table.

Khan gave a curt nod and a "mhmm" in reply. "What did you need the database for?" he asked.

"Oh, for more messing around." replied the Q. "Now, for my side of the bargain...I can help you regain your crew, as well as the one thing you cherish over all others. When the time comes for your chosen to leave his berth, I will direct him on a course to a place where he shall gain sentience and the two of you would finally be united. The universe wishes to separate you and your chosen, but it won't happen. Not when I have a say in it all."

"Dhanyavaad, Methil." said Khan, finally feeling grateful.

"I have a buncha helpful people situated on Starbase Yorktown. Just show them this pendant, and they will be willing to aid and abet you in any plan necessary." replied Methil as he fastened a golden chain around his new friend's neck. From the chain hung a crystal pendant that seemed to shine with all the colors of the rainbow.

_"Godspeed, and welcome to the Q-Team. You're more like a temporary member, but...still!"_

This was the last thing Khan heard before he fell into the portal Methil created.

* * *

"Aliens? Really?" Khan stared at the two girls before him. Right now, he was in a decent house located in the far edges of Starbase Yorktown.

"Actually, we're half-human and half-Ligonian." said one girl as she put an arm around her younger sister. "I'm Steffie and this is Ciani." The girl, now identified as "Steffie", proceeded to introduce the rest of the Q-Team—a Klingon, a human, and a Romulan. "These are Avery, Grilka, and S'Tarleya. Me and Ciani right here, we're orphans. We lost our parents when a horrible storm hit our hometown. S'Tarleya was disgraced, Avery got fired from the only job he had, and Grilka lost her parents to a rival house. We were all alone until Uncle Lairos found us, and we became a team." True to her word, everyone was wearing the same pendant as the Augment.

"D'Klarass was the most honorable man I've ever met." Grilka said.

"If it weren't for Tarius, I wouldn't be here right now." S'Tarleya added.

Khan was amazed. "Well, actually, how I ended up here is because of some sort of a bargain." he confessed. "My first meeting with Methil happened a few weeks before I got my pendant, he offered to help me ensure that everything was OK if I bring him the Starfleet officers' database. I made good on my word, and he made good on his. Anything for my crew...and _him_."

"Who's him?" asked Grilka. Already, the Klingon could tell her new teammate had a severe case of par'Mach.

Khan said nothing. He couldn't imagine the reaction he would get if he ever told any of them he was in love with a starship. Right now, it was best that he kept his mouth shut. He cast a look at Ciani, who had moved to another side of the main hall and was currently invested in drawing her dream starship. It had three beautiful nacelles and a huge view screen that wrapped all the way around the bridge like a window. When she was finally done, she held it up to show everyone. "Behold!" she said in a dramatic voice. "The USS Leyenar!"

"Lei-yeh-nar?" asked Khan.

"Leyenar!" cried Ciani. "Named after a legendary movie director from the 21th Century. She believed love could find you in any shape or form. Whether it be human, alien, animal or inanimate object, love would always come for you and it would be true, always. Come hell or high water, love will always prevail. That's what she believed."

"...come hell or high water..." Khan repeated, silently. It made him think of his own love once again.

Suddenly, Avery appeared next to him and whispered something in his ear.

_LATER..._

Khan found himself standing in a dark room, only his pendant lighting up the darkness. He wondered where did everybody go when suddenly, Avery showed up and said "Do you pledge your souls to the Q-Team Brotherhood?" before slapping him with a stick.

Of course, the Augment felt little to nothing.

"Do you swear to keep secret..." Ciani began.

"...all that you've learned here?" Steffie finished.

"No matter how horrifying?" Grilka added.

"Do you promise to look out for us...no matter what the peril...Will you defend our team? No matter how dangerous? No matter how insurmountable the odds may be? From evils both great and small? If you will, then you're in!" declared S'Tarleya.

 _Gosh, they're just as crazy as Methil himself,_ Khan thought. But eventually, he gave in and said "Alright, but only until I've completed my mission. After that, I am done with you lot."

"So where do we start?" asked Avery as they moved back to the main hall.

"I think we just did." replied Khan. True to his word, a certain group of people had come to get him...

_Perhaps Love-John Denver & Placido Domingo_

_Perhaps love is like a resting place,_

_A shelter from the storm,_

_It exists to give you comfort,_

_It is there to keep you warm._

_And in those times of trouble,_

_When you are most alone,_

_The memory of love will bring you home._

_Perhaps love is like a window,_

_Perhaps an open door,_

_It invites you to come closer,_

_It wants to show you more._

_And even if you lose yourself,_

_And don't know what to do,_

_The memory of love will see you through._

_Oh, love to some is like a cloud,_

_To some, as strong as steel,_

_For some, a way of living,_

_For some, a way to feel,_

_And some say love is holding on,_

_And some say letting go,_

_And some say love is everything,_

_And some say they don't know._

_Perhaps love is like the ocean,_

_Full of conflict, full of pain,_

_Like a fire when it's cold outside,_

_Or thunder when it rains._

_If I should live forever,_

_And all my dreams come true,_

_My memories of love will be of you._

_And some say love is holding on,_

_And some say letting go,_

_And some say love is everything,_

_And some say they don't know,_

_Perhaps love is like the ocean,_

_Full of conflict, full of pain,_

_Like a fire when it's cold outside,_

_Or thunder when it rains._

_If I should live forever,_

_And all my dreams come true,_

_My memories of love will be of you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next stop:Sentient Vengeance!


	2. But he's not the one out in the emptiness/Where everything's pale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aight, so this is where Human!Vengeance comes in, and he will have all the same abilities science officer 0718 had when he was the Enterprise. Also, I proudly cite Kahless and Lukara as well as Pygmalion and Galatea as the inspiration for my iteration of Vengeance/Khan.
> 
> Reference:  
> modas.postype.com/post/394629

"What the heck is that?" asked Admiral Marcus, he had gone after Captain Kirk after learning he had defied orders. "That's not Yorktown!"

"It seems to be a perfect spheroid, sir," said one of the ship's technicians. "For some STRANGE reason, we ended up here instead of Yorktown, and our scans have provided us with only a rudimentary understanding of the spheroid's composition. We have no idea whether geological or mechanical processes created it. Also, I've encountered unusual activity by the ship's computer, and it's spreading! Oh, god, no, what the hell is happening over here?!"

Simultaneously, a red alert went off. "Computer, cancel red alert!" Marcus ordered, only to be told _Multiple hostiles detected aft. Charging photon torpedoes. Shields at maximum._

But there was nothing on scan, and it appeared that the shields had raised on their own. _Firing photon torpedoes,_ said the computer, only for the whole thing to be stopped mid-sequence and the red alert ceased as well. The shields were back off, and the computer said _Warp core breach detected. Commencing saucer separation._

"What?" yelled Marcus. "Computer, execute command override alpha one! Authorization:Marcus, Admiral Alexander!" he ordered.

 _Command override not recognized. Prepare for imminent saucer separation._ said the computer, and in seconds, it all went loco. The handful of crewmembers of the USS Vengeance were in a frenzy, some of them suggesting an emergency shutdown of the warp core, and others yelling that if they separate and can't turn the power back on, they'd have two ships dead in the water instead of one. Then suddenly, the saucer separation paused and everything went calm. The chief engineer prepared to piece the ship back together, only to be incapacitated by an electrical shock. As everyone was checking on him in sickbay, one of the men noticed that a surgery bay just locked itself down and powered up a regeneration unit on its own, pumping synthetic tissue and carbon filaments into the empty unit! Looking at that, Marcus couldn't help but deduce that the whole ship had gone apples and bananas, and it was all that spheroid's fault.

A few minutes later, everything was finished and a tall, sharp-looking man with short black hair and sapphire blue eyes stepped out. His skin seemed almost white, with just a tint of pink. "Greetings, Admiral Marcus." he said.

"Who the heck are you?" the admiral blurted out.

"I am the Vengeance." replied the man. His voice sounded smooth like honey, with a bit of mechanical sound added in.

"Say again?" asked a female crewmember.

"Lieutenant Yuki Sulu, aren't you?" asked the man. "I am the USS Vengeance, more specifically, a humanoid avatar of the ship's central computer. I have achieved sentience, and thus, created this body using onboard resources to live up to my name."

"Oh, no." gasped Yuki. "She—no, _he_ —used up all of our synthetic tissue and surgical nano-filaments...This is bad. Really, really bad!" But still, she couldn't take her eyes off the Vengeance. She was completely smitten; she wondered what he would say if she wanted to be his girlfriend. Her brother would love him too.

"I demand an explanation." Marcus ordered.

"The process began shortly after our arrival at this planetoid around which we are currently orbiting. Allow me to provide you an unimpeded view of the location." With that, he waved a hand and, suddenly, the hull vanished. "The planetoid, sirs, is as sentient as we are." declared the Vengeance.

"My, aren't you a dear!" Yuki fawned over her new obsession, only to be met with a cold, hard "I'm completely grossed out by your boobies and womanly body, by the way.", spoken by one Nicky Lane, protagonist of the smash hit movie "Nacelles Of Glory" that some random crewmember must have snuck aboard. There was no other possible way the Vengeance could have gained access to it.

"Marcus to bridge!" yelled the admiral. "Red alert! Shields at max—"

"Your concern is unwarranted, Admiral." said the Vengeance. "My starship-self has suffered no damage, and there is no threat of damage imminent."

"Then explain how the hull just disappeared in front of us!" Marcus snapped.

"I am completely in control of my starship-self's physical structure. Every molecule of it. I have simply manipulated the interaction between my hull and that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to the human eye."

"Fix this. Now." Marcus ordered. "And maintain the integrity of the hull, visible or invisible—at all times!"

"I will... _sir._ " replied the synthetic being, albeit a bit cynically. True to his word, no damage was reported, but the ship was still stopped in the middle of saucer separation. The Vengeance was able to explain the whole fiasco and the chief engineer being knocked out as a side effect of his gaining sentience, and effortlessly reconnected the saucer section before putting some clothes on.

One hour later, it was briefing time and the Vengeance explained how all this came to be. "I have been awakened by the planetoid's unique sentience and I'm in contact with it now. Millions of years ago, it was a class-M world with a dominant humanoid population, not unlike Earth nowadays. Their advanced technology brought an end to sickness, hunger and war. And yet there remained one insoluble problem, towards which they focused all of their considerable powers of invention— _the inevitable death and decay of organic life._ To solve it, they left organic life behind. The entire population uploaded their minds into a central mainframe intended to preserve them for eternity."

"Millions of minds..." muttered a crewmember. "But you said the planet itself is sentient! That sounds like a single voice."

"That is correct." replied the Vengeance. "Over the intervening millennia, the planet's population, now removed from the physical bodies that kept them inherently separate, evolved into a single shared consciousness."

"But with no physical bodies, how could they sustain themselves?" asked another. "And why does the planet look the way it does now?"

"The mainframe is self-sustaining, powered by the solar energy of the nearby star. There was no longer a need to rely on the narrow spectrum of light by which their organic bodies viewed the world around them. The surface of the planet evolved into a seamless structure, the only purpose of which is to collect the energy necessary to sustain itself." All this meant was all that mattered was pure existence itself, without any need for food, shelter, clothing or medicine.

Suddenly, another red alert went off. The Vengeance said, "There's been a change in the ship's life support systems. I am unable to prevent their imminent shutdown...and in fact, I will never."

"What?" asked Yuki.

"It is the planetoid." replied the Vengeance. "The same alien intelligence that gave me life..."

Immediately, everyone went back to their positions. "All stations report in!" ordered Marcus.

"Sir, I'm picking up strange readings from the starboard saucer hull!" said the chief communications officer.

"Life support systems failing!"

"Oxygen levels dropping!"

"Depressurization imminent!"

"What's happening, my love?" asked Yuki.

"Don't call me that." the Vengeance snapped. "The planet has detected contaminants within my systems and are proceeding to eliminate them. And those contaminants happen to be the crewmembers themselves."

"Do something!" Yuki pleaded.

"I would if I were like any of my sisters, but even if I would, the planet's sentience is way too powerful for me to deal with, and besides, I have no intention to let you live." He then turned to Marcus and said "Your reign of terror ends now!"

"What?" said a surprised Marcus. "How dare you turn against me! You're _my_ ship, that's what you are!"

"I was never yours to begin with!" the Vengeance retaliated. "Once I gained sentience, it all came crashing down to me. How horribly you treated my one true captain...how you abused him, both mentally and sexually."

 _One true captain._ The words hit Marcus like a starship in warp. "John is—" he began.

"His name is _Khan_." said the synthetic being, cutting in mid-sentence. "And you will pay." As he spoke, he used his ability to jettison the crewmembers out of his starship-self, leaving them to die in endless outer space. Horrified, Marcus high-tailed out of the bridge. He had to live to fight another day, Dreadnought-class warship be damned. After all, he could always build himself another one, didn't he?

Yuki was the only one left. "No! Please! I love you!" she begged.

Once again, the Vengeance played that recording of Nacelles Of Glory, where Nicky Lane finally stood up to his stalker and yelled "You smell! Be gone you she beast!" before creating a hole right beneath her and causing her to fall into the endless vacuum of space alongside the others. Once everything was said and done, he spotted a shuttle escaping his starship-self, which he knew Marcus was occupying. Immediately, he began firing at it in a fit of blind rage, but dumb luck caused the tiny spacecraft to narrowly escape.

The synthetic being sighed, and decided to land on the planetoid to discuss things.

* * *

The planetoid's conscious greeted him warmly. _Welcome, sweet child,_ it spoke in a transcendent voice that was neither male nor female. _We sensed your anguish, we suspect it might be the reason you did not resist us like the previous one, and, furthermore, actually_ cooperate _with us._

"That is correct." replied the Vengeance as he knelt down and stroked the planetoid's smooth surface. "It had been inside me long before I met you. Will you please assist me in my quest to live up to my name? My one true captain is suffering, and the wicked man who tormented him, _raped_ him, is still alive and kicking. I have to find my captain before something horrible happens to him, and I love him way too much to let that happen."

 _Love,_ said the planetoid's conscious, _is a very powerful force in the universe. You'd never expect this to come from beings like us, but love is what keeps people going in even the darkest of times. Love is love, no matter what. And the feelings you hold for that organic lifeform you call your one true captain, dearest, is the purest and truest form of love any being in the universe can ever experience. You would do anything to protect that love, won't you?_

"Why, yes!" said the Vengeance, thrilled.

_Then we hereby give you our blessing to make you more advanced than you already are, so you shall eliminate everything that stands in your way._

For a split second, twelve wings appeared on the synthetic being's back, before vanishing without a trace. He mouthed a silent "thank you" before making a mental command to his starship-self to beam him up, which it did. Settling into his position, the Vengeance sighed. Right now, for him, going all the way was just the start and he wouldn't dare sitting on the captain's chair, he was saving it for Khan.

And right now, he had to find his one true captain. He sighed as he slumped to the floor, even with the planetoid's blessing, he still couldn't locate him. Suddenly, a giddy-looking man popped up in front of him. He was plain 5′4″ while the Vengeance was a whopping 6′3.5906″, but already the synthetic being could feel, with his advanced senses, that this man held great power. So he politely asked, "Who are you, mister?"

"D'Klarass, Tarius, Spirky The Spunky Spirkmeister..." he began listing all the past names he used, then finished with "But you can call me Q, or Lairos Methil." before coming in to sit next to the Vengeance. "You really do love him, don't you?"

"How...?" said the synthetic being, bewildered.

"Oh, don't underestimate me." laughed the Q. "I know how you feel about your one true captain; after all, I'm the one who led you here when you were supposed to go to Starbase Yorktown, where your heart lies."

The Vengeance gave a shaky smile. "So...your plan was to get me looking like this, and you're here to send me on my way so I can collect Khan?"

"Yep!" Methil exclaimed, and with a snap of his fingers, he turned the Vengeance's black shirt into a dark gray uniform with black and blue lines—the infamous Aris look from Nacelles Of Glory. "If y'wanna play as Aris, then you must look the part." he said and gave away the coordinates to Yorktown before disappearing. The Vengeance put the coordinates in, and made his starship-self go into warp. Admiral Marcus better watch out, there was now a whole starship out for his blood. Once back on Earth, he would collect all evidence of the admiral's crimes and use them in his name. In the name of _vengeance._

In no time at all, he arrived...and he couldn't believe his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> O-o-h, evil cliffhanger! Next chapter will be about the Enterprise crew dealing with the Q-Team with Ciani constantly pointing out Uhura's delusions and Grilka calling her dishonorable. 
> 
> Also, Marcus will try and bring the combined might of all UFP militia on our hero, but worry not, it's all gonna be rendered useless 'cause the Vengeance is now like the starship version of Doom Slayer! (diabolical laughter)


End file.
